• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

Welcome

6 Ways to Organize Your Homeschooled High School Teen

April 17, 2015 | 7 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Organization is not something we should just learn our self, but it’s a blessing we need to pass on to our homeschooled high school teen.

6 Ways to Organize Your Homeschooled High School Teen @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus


Look at these 6 ways to organize your homeschooled high school teen.

1. Dedicated space.teen desk

Source: PBteen

There is nothing more important to helping your teen stay organized than having a place for “it all”.

From the time they start learning to drive until the time they graduate, they have a mounting amount of things to take up their space.

??????????
??????????

Like you, they too need to know that when they put something away, somebody else will not move it.
Having both a dedicated space to store their items and to study at will help them to learn to manage their space.

2. Coloring is for High School.

If you have a teen that loves to organize, then something that makes a young organizer get giddy is a not only a new set of high lighters, but a color coordinating system.

I allow high lighting in books at any level if it will help my boys retain their information.
Yes, I know the book won’t have any resale value, but I am foremost concerned with teaching my boys a method to study.
They are all visual learners and so having an easy system for remembering new words and key points when studying is one I encourage.
Finding answers to questions happens when the answer is highlighted or underlined.
Too help them develop a code for each color.
For example, we used green for new words, then reviewing material becomes a snap.

3. Written or Digital Planner.

Though I love techie things, I found that having a paper planner or just even a daily checklist if a planner sounds cumbersome to a teen was a better fit for us than a digital device.

Student Planner 15 min increments editable 1
Student Planner 15 min increments editable 2

(2 Page View for the Student Planner – Tracking in 15 minute increments.)

I managed my boys’ time on line and because being on the internet was something they could not do in private, we found it easier to manage their time through easy paper checklists.

4. Subject Balance.

Taking their notebooks, planners or checklists with them in their bedrooms gave my kids time to look over what they actually did versus what we planned.
Like us, they can over plan.
Learning to balance the time they spend on each subject is critical to keeping the flow to their day balance.
High school is the time to learn to organize subjects differently.
For example, like a lot of college or upper level subjects, they may tackle one or two subjects intensely and then move on to others.
What matters is what is accomplished at the end of a semester or at the end of however your track a school term.
Let them try different approaches to organizing the approach they take to school subjects while they live with you.
That is the time to see whether a creative idea works or not.

5. Paper Management.

Mr. Senior 2013 came up with his own system of managing pages for assignments for the week.
Actually, it was a perfect example of how our children will model our behavior if we put forth a bit of effort.
He adopted a system I had used for years, which was pulling the pages out of a workbook or printing them off for the week from the internet and placing them in an organized bin.

Homeschool High School Student Organization @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus


One of the reasons I fell in love with this system was that it showed my kids what was expected each week and they could get started quickly without waiting on me to present their work to them for the day.
Nowadays, they call it a workbox system, but I still love organized bins that hold weekly assignments.
They are super compact if you are short on space and everybody can access them and see what is expected each week.

6. Supplies Matter.

Get your teen excited about an organized lifestyle by providing them with cool supplies.

Whether you’re starting a new school year or want to get your teen excited about organizing, sleek and snazzy supplies can infuse a crush for organizing.
One or two snazzy pieces to organize their supplies will give them a kick start to organizing.
In a world that teaches that we constantly need more of everything to be happy, our teens will be faced with the same decisions about trying to keep their lives clutter free.
Organize your homeschooled high school student now because organizing chaos never worked.
Organization at the high school level is not only the beginning to successfully learning how to follow a workable schedule but to mastering the skills needed for savoring life.

What about you? How do you organize your teen for high school?

You will also love to read:

  • Successful Entrepreneur-3 Best Homeschooled Teen Resources,
  • Teach Your Homeschooled Teen the Art of Studying (without nagging)
  • 3 Unique Things a Homeschooled Teen Learns From a Teacher’s Manual.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

7 CommentsFiled Under: Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Organization Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool highschool, organization, organize, organizedkids, teens

4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year

April 14, 2015 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

There are 4 benefits to planning early for the next homeschool year. Also, look on my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Whether you are a plan-a-holic or prefer to wait until your children cover most of the curriculum you got the year before, planning for the next homeschool year is one of the most thrilling things about homeschooling.

4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year

Besides being just plain fun to do, there are at least 4 benefits to planning early for the next homeschool year.

Too, look at some of the how to homeschool books which will help you have a great start or if you need to switch midstream.

5 BEST How to Homeschool Books

I've rounded up some of the best books to help you get started homeschooling.

Homeschooling for New Homeschoolers: When You Don't Know Where to Begin

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.

The Unhurried Homeschooler

Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but "The Unhurried homeschooler" takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace

Those who have made the decision to homeschool their children have done so out of great love for their children and a desire to provide them an excellent education in the context of a warm, enriching home.

The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life

Parents who are deeply invested in their children's education can be hard on themselves and their kids. When exhausted parents are living the day-to-day grind, it can seem impossible to muster enough energy to make learning fun or interesting. How do parents nurture a love of learning amid childhood chaos, parental self-doubt, the flu, and state academic standards?

Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom

Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives.

Next, look at these 4 benefits to planning your homeschool year early.

4 Benefits to Planning Your Homeschool Year Early

If you have kept up with what is working and what is not working during the year, then you have a beginning point in what you are actually wanting to purchase.

1. You Have a Beginning Point for Purchases

Walking into a curriculum filled convention, smelling all those wonderful smells is too enticing for even the most experienced homeschooler.

It is hard to resist buying on impulse. I know, I have done it.

Having a beginning point helps you to buy curriculum that your children will actually use and benefit from.

2. Purchases Can Be Spread Out

Helping a lot of homeschoolers, I know money matters when it comes to purchases.

Too, the more children you have to buy curriculum for the smarter it is to spread your buying out over several months.

I know when I have done this, I have gotten exactly what each child needed.

I didn’t feel like I settled for anything because I didn’t wait to the last minute to buy and feel the pressure of the new school year.

Sometimes the best time to buy is when you have received your tax refund, if you get one.

Curriculum vendors know this and will run a spring sale on curriculum.

Take advantage of spring savings and buy online from reputable places like Rainbow Resource.

3. You Get Choice Picks of Second Hand Homeschool Materials

Like me, if you like to use part new materials and part gently used curriculum, then you have to start early.

By mid-spring or later, popular used curriculum is in hot demand and sellers know this.

If you are wanting to sell and get top dollar, then plan to have your gently used curriculum ready early in spring to sale.

If you are a buyer and want to get a good value, then look at off-peak times like January or February when sellers are clearing out for the next school year.

4. Avoid Back Order Backup

Is it just me or are you sorely disappointed when you finally decide to buy that curriculum that makes your heart go pitter patter only to find out that it is on back-order?

I have done this several times because I thought I was being cautious. I ended up delaying the start of my school year.

More Homeschooling Year Around Tips

  • What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 1
  • What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 2
  • Homeschooling Year Round – Chaos Or Calm?
  • How a Homeschool Planning Calendar is Superior to a Regular Calendar
  • 4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year

Disappointed is an understatement to how I felt when all books or supplies were not in my shipment.

To the outside world, we may seem slightly insane to be so over the top when it comes to homeschool planning.

However, planning for the next homeschool year is one of the best ways to brighten up the coming months in spring, especially if you are coming out of long cold winter days.

How about you?

Are you a plan-a-holic and pretty well plan year around or do you have a specific time you plan?

4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus-2

4 CommentsFiled Under: Lesson Plan, Plan For & School Year Around

Finding Joy In Homeschooling When You are Not Really Feeling It

April 9, 2015 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Finding joy in homeschooling when you are not really feeling it is not easy when you don’t know the secret to keeping to it.

First, it really is important to think of the blessings we have received and progress we have made to this point. We need to be thankful for them.

Finding Joy In Homeschooling When You Are Not Really Feeling It @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Discontentment is about not appreciating the progress you and your children have made so far.
The overwhelming pressure to keep pushing our children and our self to maxed out limits triggers discontentment.

Fault finding and complaining are close allies of discontentment. Discontentment can rob you of homeschooling joy.
Because we are imperfect we will always have feelings of being inadequate.

Too, we are not immune to this world’s constant bombardment of thinking that more academics and beginning at a very early age equates to homeschooling success. <

Miserable or Merciful Homeschool Mom

Second, as moms if we constantly fault find with our children and keep switching curriculum in the hopes of finding something better, we rob our children of valuable time that could be spent together.

The most rounded out, happy and contented successful homeschooling families have all shared a common thread.

The environment the child learns in and the attitude of joy that was maintained by the whole family was of far more importance than being overly concerned about national test levels.

True, it’s not easy to feel joyful if we are sick, have fallen behind in our goals, have a household of young demanding children, or have very little support from our husbands as far as homeschooling.

However, focusing on the things we do have, can do and the progress made so far are all incentives to fueling up my homeschooling tank again.

Do You Value the High Cost of Homeschooling?

Do you view it as a privilege to homeschool?
When it’s viewed that way we never take it for granted. If joy is missing in your homeschool day, have you spent time reflecting on the positive?

Savor the progress you made this year. Progress is measured in tiny baby steps. If it’s moving forward at a crawl, it’s still progress.

Contentment is of great value in your journey. Do not compare your progress to others.

Journal or record the progress however tiny it was this year.

The secret of joyfully homeschooling for one year, five or even ten years is sweet contentment.

What about you? Have you found the secret to staying the course?

Also, look at 7 Homeschool Lies I Want to Tell My Younger Self, What I Gave Up to Homeschool (and what I got in return), and 6 Things I Won’t Regret After Homeschooling 16+ Years.

Hugs and you know I love ya,

Signature T

Linking up @ these awesome places:

2 CommentsFiled Under: Homeschool Simply, Homeschool When Nobody Wants To Tagged With: homeschooljoy

20 Awesome History Books for Kids

April 7, 2015 | 80 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Whether you’re looking for homeschool history books or just plain good ancient history books for your homeschool, I have 20 awesome history books for kids,

Too, you’ll find history books for every age.

And I have listed books for topics like castles, Greeks, Egypt, mummies, warriors, pyramids, inventions, the medieval world and time travelers.

These history books for kids can be used as a stand along spine which is a framework for your unit study or they can be used as supplements.

20 Awesome History Books for Kids

In addition, I love these series of books because some have additional activities for history.

History Books for Kids

History should not boring and so I look for books that have activities. You need reference books, but you also want ideas for all ages.

The books below on different eras of history are sticker books, about time travel and learning about Greek myths.

From preschool to young adult, these books give a diverse look at life in ancient times as well as some of the most important events.

Other History Books:

  • Ancient Civilization History Living Books
  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • 13 Living History Books about Ancient Greece
20 Awesome History Books for Kids

History Books for PreK – Kindergarten

1. Look Inside a Castle

Kids will follow a lord and lady as they go about their day in a medieval castle.

Children will learn all about castle life as they lift up over 60 different flaps to reveal facts about the medieval time period.

2. Mini Greek Myths for Children

These traditional Greek myths are retold so young children can understand and older children can read on their own.

This book is beautifully illustrated so that the whole family will enjoy reading it again and again.

3. Sticker Dressing Long Ago

What did Vikings, Pharaohs, and Japanese Samurai wear long ago?

Children will find out by dressing each character and reading about the facts that go with each.

Even after all the stickers are gone, children love reading about these historical people.

4. Ancient Egypt Jigsaw Book

Complete 6 easy jigsaws to reveal facts about life in ancient Egypt.

There are lots of things to seek and find which makes this book one of the most fun history books I’ve ever seen.


5. Look Inside Mummies and Pyramids

This lift and look books gives more details of how the Egyptians buried their dead and how the pyramids were made.

Kids love the flaps to lift and look inside the pyramids!

Elementary History Books

6. Living Long Ago

Details on everyday living in ancient times are revealed in this fun book.

Topics include clothing, homes, food, travel and more!


7. Sticker Dressing Warriors

Use over 200 stickers to dress warriors from the past. This book covers Mongols to Native American Chefs!

8. The Story of Inventions

This best selling books tell the stories behind the things we use everyday.

Children will be inspired to come up with their own inventions after reading this book.

9. Time Traveler

Follow a young boy as he travels back in time to 4 different civilizations.

This action-packed history book is just what kids who hate textbooks need to get interested in history.


10. Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths

This collection of famous myths from Ancient Greece include: “The Horse”, “The Minotaur”, “Bellerophon and Pegasus”, “The Twelve Tasks of Heracles”, “Perseus and the Gorgon”, “The Odyssey”, even more myths and a guide to the gods.

Children will love the beautiful illustrations and introduction to Greek beliefs.

11. Ancient Egypt Sticker Book

This sticker book explores Egypt through ancient artifacts and monuments.

With over 120 stickers, this book is an awesome resource to have when studying ancient Egypt.


12. Ancient World

Lavish illustrations and detailed tid-bits help make this book intriguing for all children.

They’ll love learning about the rise and fall of major civilizations and the internet links featured will help them further explore the ancient world.


13. Medieval World

To find out all about the lives of knights, peasants, warriors, and more, this book is your ultimate resource.

It contains lots of internet sites with more resource for your children to learn about the history of the Medieval world.

14. Encyclopedia of World History

A 12000-year illustrated time chart, over 100 maps, clear descriptions of historical events and more make this book a must-have resource for any home library.

History Books for Young Adults

15. The World Wars

Based on true events, this book is perfect for reluctant readers and takes you on a thrilling journey through the lives of people who experienced the first & second world wars.
16. War Stories

Based on true events, this book is perfect for reluctant readers and takes you on a thrilling journey through the lives of people who experienced the first & second world wars.


17. Book of Castles

This book is for the castles buffs who want a detailed look inside castle life. With photographs, artworks, computer graphics, and internet references, you’ll get to see inside the world of castles like never before.

18. Greeks

Who were the Greeks and how did they come to dominate the Western world for centuries? Find out in this exciting book all about the Greeks!

19. Illustrated Guide to Greek Myths & Legends

This reference guide contains a detailed list of all the Greek gods, heroes, and monsters and their attributes. It is a great introduction to the myths and characters that make up Greek culture.


20. Romans

One of the most powerful empires that ever existed, their influence is still felt to this day.

They were pioneers of trade, engineering and government.

That’s why this book is great to have as a reference or to read a full chronicle of the Roman way of life.

20 Awesome History books for Kids

80 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, History Resources Tagged With: book lists, books, history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolhighschool, homeschoolhistory, middleschool

Homeschool Day: 3 Smart Strategies to Fitting It All In

April 6, 2015 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I can’t drive and talk on the phone at the same time and have any kind of quality conversation much less pay attention to my driving. Add in a homeschool day and In this day and age it’s called multitasking.

I really don’t like that term in my homeschooling day because it makes me think that I am not giving 100% to the task on hand.

Not only do I not feel productive while driving and talking, but in a lot of places it is illegal because of the dangers.

Simply put, we can get side-tracked.

Homeschool Day: 3 Smart Strategies to Fitting It All In

1. Homeschool Prioritizing = Important Things First

Prioritizing is a term I prefer to use because that is really what a homeschool day is about.

Did you know that prioritizing is the secret in not surviving homeschool, but treasuring each day?

Homeschooling is a long trek and stacking all the things we want to do in our day by multitasking can leave us sidetracked with very little ability to do what is needed.

Prioritizing your tasks in order of importance is the key to a stress free day.

I am not really even talking about getting an early start in the day even though this proves very successful for most homeschoolers.

What you need to remember is that what ever time is first in your day, that time needs to be your school zone.

Your teaching needs to be given priority so that before anything else comes up, you have accomplished some of your goals.

2. Do Opposite Planning

Another mistake I was making for many years is setting my homeschool schedule to the beat of my oldest son.

If your household is filled with lots of little ones, your rhythm needs to beat to the youngest and not to the oldest child.

Many years ago, I heard David Hazell of my Father’s World give the best piece of advice.

He said the oldest child needs to be dethroned.So true! In other words, quit setting the schedule to suit them.

We worry so much about our oldest child that he may view his time as absolute to the other children’s time.

It is okay to worry about doing school with them, we need to be conscientious.

However, the lessons we teach our oldest child about patience, forgiveness and an independent attitude to pursue some learning on their own is what homeschooling really is about.

How does this fit in with getting it all in the day? We are moms first and it always take priority.

Caring for our family’s needs, whether it means cradling the toddler, hugging the preschoolers or wiping the tears of a hormonal middle schooler, our homeschool schedule needs to work around our family.

3. You Have to Plan

Sample Homeschool Schedules

Another tip for maintaining a calm flow to your day is to plan it or schedule it.  Don’t let a schedule stranglehold you.

A homeschool schedule is a like a vacation plan.  You use it to be sure you don’t miss any of the important things along the way.

It is a guide to your day but should never be viewed as another stress inducer.  It points your direction so that you keep going along.

Look at two of my homeschool schedules I followed for quite a few years.

Older Household

Mon. off.

Tue –  Fri. School

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

2:00 – 4:00 reading time, chore time and quiet time.

Younger Household.

Mon. off

Tues – Friday School

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

1:00 p..m. – 3:00 p.m. school (school, hopefully while the toddler and preschooler napped)

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. chore time and quiet time.

I even did school on Saturday one year when I had a toddler and a newborn.  The Mr. was home and I could get so much accomplished with my oldest son.

If you love white chalkboards like I do, then you’ll love this whiteboard for organizing.

Instead of panting through the day and giving homeschooling, cooking or caring for the little ones with meager energy, prioritize your day.

Seasons of time pass by quickly. Don’t spend precious homeschool days that won’t last forever by pushing your limits to the max.

And if you need more help, you’ll love my book, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don’t Know Where to Begin Paperback.

You’ll like these other posts and helps:

  • Public School is NOT Free! (but neither is homeschool)
  • Controlling the Time Spent on Homeschool Subjects or Running a Homeschooling Boot Camp
  • Stop the Homeschool Time Drain!
Homeschool Day: 3 Smart Strategies to Fitting It All In
Homeschool Day. 3 Smart Strategies to Fitting it ALL In @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

What does your homeschool schedule look like now?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Organization, Schedule/Balance Home & School Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool challenges, homeschool schedules, homeschoolmultiplechildren

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 314
  • Page 315
  • Page 316
  • Page 317
  • Page 318
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 398
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy